By Susie Harwood
Rocco Forte Hotels is renowned for its collection of properties housed in historic and architecturally significant buildings – from Brown’s Hotel, one of the oldest luxury hotels in London, to Hotel de la Ville in Rome, a historic 18th-century palazzo – mainly located in city centres.
But Verdura Resort in Sicily is one of the exceptions. A passion project for founder Sir Rocco Forte, a keen golfer, the resort was designed and developed entirely from the ground up and has provided the backdrop for many Forte family holidays since opening in 2009.

Located on a 230-hectare estate near Sciacca, featuring over a mile of private coastline and three golf courses, it is named after the Verdura family, who historically owned the land. Sir Rocco spent years developing the project, first buying up land from more than 70 different landowners, and then ensuring the architecture, curated by his sister Olga Polizzi, complemented the surrounding Mediterranean landscape.
Verdura is also renowned for being home to the annual Google Camp – an exclusive summer conference attended by political, tech and finance leaders, as well as celebrities from around the world – for the past decade.
Earlier this month, the resort played host to Rocco Forte Hotels’ annual MICE Showcase, which brings together corporate and agency event planners with the group’s senior leadership, sales teams, and representatives from across the portfolio.
Over a three-day programme, the group experienced first-hand – and I was lucky to be among them – why both Sir Rocco and companies like Google keep returning to this Mediterranean gem year after year. (Read my lowdown on the event here.)
A Sense of Place
The resort is a 90-minute transfer from Palermo Airport, so on the longer side. But the journey takes you through some of Sicily’s most stunning landscapes – and as soon as you arrive, you realise it was worth it.
Think dramatic seaside views, swaying palms and fragrant orange and olive groves. You can’t help but breathe a little deeper and feel yourself relax.

The estate features over 3,700 orange trees and 50 lemon trees, alongside 3,000 olive trees, as well as almond and pomegranate trees. The groves are woven into the landscape, with paths for jogging, trekking and cycling winding through them. They also play a central role in Verdura’s “farm-to-table” culinary offering, producing the resort’s own organic extra virgin olive oil and fresh orange juice – a great story and selling point for eco-conscious groups.

Verdura features 203 rooms and suites, alongside 20 three- and four-bedroom private villas. All rooms offer sea views, private terraces and local Sicilian design elements. The resort is currently undergoing a refurbishment of its rooms and suites, overseen by Olga Polizzi alongside designers Paolo Moschino and Philip Vergeylen. The first phase has been completed, with the remaining rooms set to follow over the next year. The new look introduces warm, organic tones, including yellow, orange and russet, inspired by the Sicilian landscape.
The room refresh forms part of a broader multi-million-pound investment by Rocco Forte Hotels. This includes a full refurbishment of the central building, as well as three new restaurants – L’Osteria, Zagara and Buongiorno – and the addition of the cocktail bar Scirocco, unveiled last year.

Another recent addition is the piazza beside the 16th-century Saracen Tower, which features a shopping area and is home to Nagori, a restaurant where Japanese and Sicilian flavours meet. Guests can also rediscover Liolà, a Sicilian restaurant that has been given a new look.

The resort’s eight dining outlets, along with a variety of outdoor spaces, allow planners to curate diverse dining experiences and programmes without ever needing to leave the property.
Meetings, Incentives and Experiences
There are ten meeting rooms at Verdura, each with access to a central courtyard that benefits from natural daylight and views of the surrounding olive groves. For larger events, a double-height ballroom can accommodate up to 300 seated guests, while the open-air amphitheatre is ideal for screenings, performances and presentations.

Verdura Resort was recently named Italy’s Best Incentive Hotel 2025 at the latest World MICE Awards – and it’s easy to see why. With championship golf courses, extensive wellness facilities and an almost limitless array of group activities available on and off site, the resort delivers the authenticity and sense of place that incentive winners increasingly seek.

There are two 18-hole championship golf courses and a nine-hole course, designed by architect Kyle Phillips, which weave through lush landscapes and offer panoramic views of the Mediterranean. A tennis centre features a pro shop, six clay courts, as well as padel and pickleball courts.
The 4,000-square-metre Irene Forte Spa includes 11 treatment rooms, four outdoor thalassotherapy pools, an indoor infinity pool, hammams, saunas and a Technogym-equipped fitness centre. The spa uses the award-winning Irene Forte skincare line, made from nutrient-rich natural and organic ingredients inspired by Sicily.

At Verdura’s beach, groups can take part in water sports such as diving, stand-up paddleboarding, jet surfing and flyboarding, or join guided boat excursions to explore nearby coves or enjoy sunset aperitifs on the water. Horseback riding through the Sicilian countryside, private wine tastings, stargazing experiences, beekeeping workshops and interactive cooking classes are also available.

The resort maintains a strong connection to Sicilian culture, offering excursions to the nearby 5th-century BC temples in Agrigento, as well as Caltabellotta – a small town in the Sicani Mountains that has recently been identified as an emerging Blue Zone, known for the longevity of its inhabitants.
During the showcase, I took part in an arancine-making class and an excursion to Caltabellotta, both of which felt authentic to the destination and incredibly memorable. Verdura’s proximity to an emerging Blue Zone, combined with its on-site organic farm and spa, also creates strong theming opportunities for wellness-focused programmes.
Whether conference or incentive, Verdura Resort is incredibly flexible – there is something to suit every taste – and the property offers an exclusive buy-out option in shoulder months such as November and March/April (It typically closes for the winter from mid-November to mid-March).